Nigerian Drivers React as Uber Ignores Them in $250million Stimulus
- Uber announced that it will provide a $250 million stimulus to encourage drivers to go back to the road
- The ride-hailing company snubs Nigerian drivers as it focuses funds on American drivers to lure them back to work
- Nigerian drivers blame the system in the country for their omission in the $250 million stimulus offered by Uber
PAY ATTENTION: Join a community of CEOs, founders and decision-makers: subscribe for a free monthly business newsletter Digital Talks and succeed BIG!
Uber has set aside a $250 million stimulus for its driver a year after its business dip by 80% due to scarcity of drivers amid rising demands from riders. The stimulus will be disbursed as bonuses, the company stated.
The company plans to use the capital to lure drivers back to the road, as several of them had abandoned work during the COVID-19 lockdown period. Some drivers that spoke with Legit.ng had stated that they couldn't risk their health for profit.
Commenting on the absence of drivers on Uber ride, Uber spokesperson said:
“In 2020, many drivers stopped driving because they couldn’t count on getting enough trips to make it worth their time.
“In 2021, there are more riders requesting trips than there are drivers available to give them — making it a great time to be a driver.”
However, the stimulus being offered by Uber doesn't include Nigerian drivers who have mostly been abandoned by the ride-hailing company. During the thick of the pandemic, local drivers were not given stimulus by Uber.
According to Igbo Chijioke, ride-hailing driver, he said the decision not to include Nigeria doesn't surprise him as the country isn't as organised as that of the US:
"Nothing surprises me in Nigeria again. Their system in the US is more organised than our country." he simply stated.
Source: Getty Images
Chijioke was one of the drivers that worked during the second quarter of last year amid COVID-19 but weren't a beneficiary of Uber palliatives.
Another driver, Emeka Daniel echoed Prince's statement, adding that if the stimulus eventually is given by Uber to Nigerian drivers, it will not reach them:
"I'm not surprised by that (Uber ignoring Nigerian drivers) because nothing works in Nigeria. If they (Uber) give the stimulus, it will end up in the wrong hands, and the driver won't get anything."
Daniel was one of the drivers that changed their keys during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The enquiry sent to Uber Nigeria is yet to be responded to by the subsidiary.
Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that Dangote Cement recorded a bad loss in its market valuation in the first quarter of this year, as it dropped by 10.4%.
The percentage decline translates into N420 billion loss on the part of the company. Dangote Cement had closed January with N4.02 billion but further dipped by N320 billion in February.
The market capitalisation of the firm continued to fall after it ended March with N3.6 trillion. This means the market value declined more by N100 billion at the end of the month of Q1.
Source: Legit.ng
